Automatic alarm switch



1934- J. M. GLOUDEMANS AUTOMATIC ALARM SWITCH Filed March 30, 1933 v 4 fivvmm Arron Er Patented Aug. 7, 1934 IU/NITED s' m'r azs PATENT OFFICE 1,969,554 AUTOMATIC ALARM sw'rrcn John ltL Gloudemans; Kaukauna, with Application March so, 1933, Serial- No. 663,466 p 2 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic alarms, and more particularly to a kind of alarm designed for mounting within the springs of a bed or the like.

The prime object of the invention is to provide an automatic alarm for mounting within the springs of a bed, the same being so arranged as to automatically sound a bell or buzzer or turn on a light whenever the occupant of the bed leaves or is removed from it. I Anotherobject is to provide a device of the kind referred to for mounting in the springs of a bed or the like, and embodying a housing having a plunger or the like movably mounted therein and carrying a bridge strip for spanning and bridging two electric terminals mounted in one end of the housing, there being an operating spring so mounted as to normally urge said bridge into contact with the terminals for operating an electric alarm signal when the bed is unoccupied, the weight of a person upon the springs of the bed sufiicing to draw the bridge piece away from the terminals against the action of the operating spring, so that no alarm is sounded so long as the .25 bed is occupied.

With theseand such other objects in view as may appearfrom the following specification, attention is directed to the accompanying drawing as embodying a practical form of the invention,

and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the device as incorporated upon a set of bed springs as suspended within a bed or. spring frame, a fragmental portion of such an assembly being shown.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device removed from the bed springs. Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section view through the cylindrical housing and showing the arrangement of the interior elements, the lay-out of the electrical circuit being also shown in combination.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a section similar to that of Figure 5, but looking in the reverse direction. I The invention comprises a hollow, cylindrical housing 1 of porcelain, bakelite or any suitable non-conductive material, the same being closed at one end 2 and being pierced through at that end by a central aperture 3. The opposite and otherwise open end is provided with a removable closure 4 of insulative material and having mounted upon the inner face thereof two spaced electrical contact terminals 5, from which leads 6 are extended out through the cover 4, and a battery 7 and bell 8 are connected in series in said leads and circuit.. An operating shaft 9 is slidably passed through the apertures 3 and a plunger 10 or the like, is rigidly mounted at the inner end of this shaft and arranged to move with the'shaft in a reciprocating manner within the housing. A metallic bridge piece 11 is mounted at the forward end or face of the plunger and is adapted to contact with and bridge the terminals 5 as the plunger is moved towards the saine, thus .65' closing the circuit. A coil spring 12 mounted over the shaft 9 inside the housing and braced between the housing and plunger normally urges the bridge 11 into, contact with the terminals 5 and thus closes the electrical circuit. A hook i3 is mounted upon the outer face of the cover 4, and the outer end of the shaft, 9 is threaded as shown at 14 and two jam nuts 15 are mounted thereupon. This device may be mounted in an assembly of bed or spring frame 16 and springs 17 (only the frame of which is shown) by means of a flat cross piece 18, which is wedged at its end between the coils of the spaced springs 19, which extend from the frame 16 to the bed springs 17 in a conventional manner. This cross piece has a central aperture 20 through which the outer threaded end of the shaft 9 is passed, and the nuts 15 being then screwed upon the outer end of the shaft, the assembly is effectually suspended at this 'end.

The hook 13 of the opposite end of the device is then hooked overthe adjacent cross bar 21 of the bedsprings 17. The nuts 15 are then so adjusted upon the shaft 9 that the spring 12 will normally cuit from the battery. When a person, as a child for example, occupies the bed, the weight thereof will, of course, stretch the springs 19 and the bridge piece 11 will be withdrawn from contact 5 with the terminals 5, thus opening the electrical circuit and preventing the sounding of the hell 8. However, if the child leaves the bed, or is surreptitiously removed, as by kidnappe the electrical circuit will be immediately closed and the 0. bell oiother alarm sounded. The alarm element such as bell, buzzer, or light, may be located wherever it may be desired, with leads extended thereto from the switch. Thus the device might be of use for a nurse in attendance upon an-invalid or sleep-walker. Or, it could be adapted for the use for turning on a. light for a child in getting up in the night. During the day, the device would would be made inoperative by the use of an ordinary turn switch (not shown) incorporated in 9 the system. It is thought from the foregoing explanation that the construction and use of the device will be fully understood.

While I have herein described a certain specific manner and method of. constructing and assembling the elements of my invention, it is understood that I may vary from the samein minor details, not departing from the spirit of my invenhousing, a shaft extended from the piunger, a

cross piece secured on the shaft and wedges at its ends between adjacent coils of the said coil springs, a bridge piece on the plunger, and the said. plunger being spring set to normally move ,the said bridge piece into engagement with the switch contacts in the housing.

2. In a device of the kind described and in combination with a painof spaced relatively movable supports and spaced parallel coil springs connecting the two, a switch including a'housing and a plunger slidably mounted therein in parallelism with the axes of the coil springs, the said housing being hooked on one of the supports, and a cross piece associated with the plunger and wedged at its ends between adjacent convolutions of the coil springs.

3 JOHN M. GLOUDEMANS. 

